Fuse for projectiles



March 22, 1932. G. H BARDSLEY 1,850,196

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES Filed June 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE R. E H E ais? Y W/ G E E 3 BY 2 ,1: l 1 /A g March 22, 1932. BARDSLEY 1,850,196

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES Filed June 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EECEE H'Elar'dsley TORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1932 GEORGE H. BARDSLEY, F DOVER,NEW JERSEY FUSE FOB, PROJECTILES Application filed June 3, 1930. SerialNo. 459,079.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 8 0, 1928; 3700. G- 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and usedby or for the Government for governmental purposes, wlthout the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is a fuse for projectiles and isparticularly designed for though not limited to that. class of proectiles which have no rotation during flight.

All fuses are arranged with safety devices which restrain the firingpin'from coming in contact with the primer until after the projcctilehas commenced its flight. In addition, certain safety features areincorporated whereby the explosive train is interrupted so thatpremature ignition due to shock or other causes will not function thebursting charge. In projectiles fired from a rifled weapon, the forcesof inertia andcentrifugal force are available and are used separately orcollectively to actuate the elements of the safety devices.

The purpose of the present invention is to rovide safety devices for afuse which will lie actuated by means of air pressure developed duringflight of a projectile equipped with the fuse.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings,

wherein:

. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved fuse showingthe parts in the safe or unarmed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1, butshowing the parts in the armed position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the fuse equippedwith a novel shipping cap.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

The fuse comprises an ogival casing conforming externally to standarddesign and capable of being formed as an integral unit. It includes anintermediate head 5, a nose 6 and a hollow cylindrical body 7 threadedfor attachment to a projectile. A peripheral recess 8 in the outer wallof the container forms a neck between the head and the nose andestablishes an area of decreased pressure when the fuse is in flight. Tofacilitate this purpose the recess is so formed that the rim 9 of thenose constitutes a lip and the surface 10 of the head is sloped for somedistance before it meets the ogive of the container.

The head 5 is formed with a central cavity 11 which is closed at therear by a block 12 positioned within the hollow fuse body 7 and retainedby a cup 13 carrying a booster charge 14 and threaded internally as at15 to the fuse body. An axial opening 16 in the nose 6 extends to thecavity 11 and together they accommodate corresponding portions of astriker which consist of an enlarged base 17 and a tubular stem 18.

The striker is normally held in a retracted position with the base atthe rear of the cavity and the front edge of the stem withdrawn into thenose, by means of a pair of spring pressed bolts 19 mounted in the head5 and engageable in recesses 20 in the wall of the base 17 of thestriker. The bolts are adapted to be moved outwardly to release thestriker by means of air pressure and to this end a channel isconveniently provided in the striker by means of the tubular stem and anintersecting transverse duct 21 in the base leading directly to thebolts. A vent 22 leading to the annular recess 8 is provided in rear ofeach of the bolts and is occluded by the bolt when disengaged from thestriker.

An inclined duct 23 extends from one of the recesses 20 to the concavedrear face 24 of the striker and serves to conduct air to the rear of thestriker after it is uncovered b the bolt. Due to the difierential areasthe striker on which the air pressure is acting the striker is caused tomove forwardly to the armed osition shown in Fi 4, the point of thestriker being extruded. ents leading from the forward end of the cavity11 to the annular-recess 8 provide for exhausting the cavity during suchmovement of the striker.

The block 12 is formed with a transverse passage 26 in which is mounteda slide 27 carrying a primer detonator 28. .In the normal unarmedposition of the slide the primer detonator is maintained out ofalignment with an axial flash passage 29 in the cup 13 through theagency of a firing pin 30 fixed uncovers a channel 23, 33 and 33arespectively in the fuse head and block which establishes communicationbetween the cavity 11 and one end of the passage 26, the correspondingend of the slide being cut away as at 34 to provide the accommodation.Air pressure can thus be utilized to move the slide from one end of thepassage 26 to the other end which is exhausted through the vent 3535aleading to the annular recess 8. The primer detonator is now disposedaxially of the fuse and in line with the flash passage 29.

As shown in Fig. 7 a shipping cap 36 is placed over the nose of the fuseand includes an indented apical portion 37 insertable in the opening 16to positively restrain the striker against forward movement and also anindented marginal portion 38 fitting in the annular recess 8 for thepurpose of excluding dirt therefrom and securely holding the cap inplace. These portions are pref- 'erably separable by means of knownexpedients along a line a'a so that the cap may be readily detachedprior to using the fuse.

In order to insure correct positioning of the block 12 and the alignmentof the channel 33a and vent 35a with the complementary portions in thefuse head, a dowel 39 is provided and is preferably fixed'in the fusehead. The dowel is extended into the passage 26 adj acent one of theside Walls and the slide is formed With a slot 40 so that it Will not beopposed by the dowel in moving to armed position. Furthermore, whenassembling the slide by a longitudinal movement to have the blind recess32 receive the projecting firing pin 30 the dowel serves to opposeplacement of the slide unless the latter is in the unarmed position.

The booster cup and the slide and all elements of the container areassembled as units and then combined in proper relation to the block.

During the flight of a projectile equipped with the present-fuse the airpressure upon the nose of the fuse is increased and the pressure underthe rim or lip 9 is decreased. The air rushing into the hollow strikerisconcentrated 0n the bolts and drives them outwardly; and thenbeing-admitted behind the concaved rear end of the striker whose areaexceeds the area of such of its surfaces on which the inrushing streamis acting, causes the striker to move forward to armed position, therebycarrying the firing pin out of the path of the slide. 'The exposure ofthe channel 33 on forward movement of the striker enables the airpressure to be directed to the passage 26 where it moves the slide toarmed position. that there are successive concentrations first on thebolts, then on the striker and then on the slide. The chambersorpassages for all moving parts, namely the striker, bolts and slide areall vented to a point of reduced pressure, in the present instance theannular recess 8, in order that the air displaced by the moving partswill not build up retarding pressures.

I claim:

1. In a fuse for projectiles, a container forming a hollow body, achambered head, and a chambered nose separated from the head by aperipheral recess, a striker having an enlarged base disposed in thechamber of the head and a tubular stem fitting in the chamber of thenose, a pair of spring-pressed bolts mounted in the head and engageablewith. the enlarged base of the striker to hold it in fired position, atransverse duct in the striker base in communication with the tubularstem and directed to the bolts, a duct leading from the transverse ductto the rear face of the striker and normally occluded by one of thebolts, a slide holder in the hollow body in rear of the striker, atransversely movable slide in said holder, a firing pin carried by thestriker and normally disposed in the path of movement of the slide, aduct between the chamber in the fuse head and one end of the slide andsaid duct normally occluded by the striker, means for venting the airdisplaced on movement of the striker, bolts and slide to the peripheralrecess, and a booster cup secured to the hollow body and retaining theslide holder.

2. In a fuse for projectiles, a container including a chambered head anda chambered nose separated from the head by a peripheral recess, astriker in the chamber of the head having a tubular stem fitting in thechamber of the nose, means engageable with the striker for locking it infired position, a duct in the striker in communication with the tubularstem and directed to the locln'ng means, a second duct in the strikerleading from the The arrangement is such aforesaid duct to the rear faceof the striker and normally occluded by the locking means, a slidemounted for transverse movement in rear of the striker, a firing pincarried by the striker and normally disposed in the path of the movementof the slide, a duct establishhaving a tubular stem fitting in thechamber of the nose, means engageable with the striker for looking it infired position, a duct in the striker in communication with the tubularstem and directed to the locking means, a second duct in the strikerleading from the aforesaid duct to the rear face of the striker andnormally occluded by the locking means, a slide mounted for transversemovement in rear of the striker, a firing pin carried by the striker andnormally disposed in the path of the movement of the slide, a ductestablishing communication between the striker chamber and one end ofthe slide and normally occluded by the striker and means for venting theair displaced on movement of the striker, locking means and slide.

4. In a fuse for projectiles, a container including a chambered head anda chambered nose, a striker in the chamber of the head having a tubularstem fitting in the chamberof the nose, means engageable with thestriker for locking it in fired position, a duct in the striker incommunication with the tubular stem and directed to the locking means, asecond duct in the striker leading from the aforesaid duct to the rearface of the striker, a slide mounted for transverse movement in rear ofthe striker, a firing pin carried by the striker,- and normally disposedin the path of movement of the slide, a duct establishing communicationbetween the striker chamberand one end of the slide, and means forventing the air displaced on movement of the striker, locking means andslide.

5. In a fuse for projectiles, a casing, a striker mounted in the casingfor movement axially thereof, and having a stem extruding through thenose of the casing, means for locking the striker in the fired position,a slide mounted for transverse movement in the rear of the striker, afiring pin carried by the striker and normally disposed in the path ofmovement of the slide, an air channel extending from the nose of thecasing and arranged to successively concentrate air pressure on thelocking means, the striker, and slide to move these members, and meansfor venting the air displaced by said members to a point of reducedpressure.

6. In a fuse for projectiles, a casing, a striker mounted in the casingfor movement axially thereof, and having a stem extruding through thenose of the casing, means for locking the striker in the fired position,a slide mounted for transverse movement in rear of the striker, a firingpin carried by the striker and normally disposed in the path of movementof the slide, an air channel extending from the nose of the casing andarranged to successively concentrate airpressure on the locking means,the striker, and slide to move these members.

7. In a fuse, a movably mounted locking means, striker and slide, thestriker opposing movement of the slide and being opposed by the lockingmeans, an air channel leading to all of said members whereby theirmovement is effected through air pressure in the order named, thelocking means and the striker normally interrupting the air channelwhereby successive concentrations of air pressure are directed to saidmembers, and means for venting the air displaced by said members to apoint of reduced pressure.

'8. In a fuse, a movably mounted locking means, striker and slide, thestriker opposing movement of the slide and being opposed by the lockingmeans, and an air channel leading to all of said members whereby theirmovement is effected through air pressure in the order named, thelocking means and the striker normally interrupting the air channelwhereby successive concentrationsof air pres sure are directed to saidmembers.

9. In a fuse, a movably mounted locking means, striker and slide, thestriker opposing movement of the slide and being opposed by the lockingmeans, means for directing air pressure to successively move saidmembers in the order named, and means for venting the air displaced bysaid members to a point of reduced pressure.

10. In a fuse, a movably mounted locking means, striker and slide, thestriker opposing movement of the slide and being opposed by the lockingmeans, and means for directing air pressure to successively move saidmembers in the order named.

11. In a fuse, three associated movable members, the intermediate memberopposed by one of the remaining members and opposing the other remainingmember, and means for directing air pressure to successively move theopposition members. 1

12. In a fuse, an axially movable member, a transversely movable memberopposing movement of the axially movable member, an air channel in saidaxially movable member leading to the transversely movable member and toits rear face, the transversely movable melmber normally interruptingthe air channe 13. In a fuse, a pair of members mounted for movement atan angle to one another, one of said members arranged to oppose movementof the other, and means for conducting air pressure through the opposedmember to successively move the opposing and theopposed member. 1

14. In a fuse, a pair of members mounted for movement at an angle to oneanother, one

of said members arranged to oppose move:

ment of the other, and means for conducting air pressure to successivelymove the opposing and the opposed member.

15. In a fuse, a pair of members mounted for movement at an angle to oneanother, one of said members arranged to oppose movement of the other,and means for conducting air pressure to move the opposing member in thedirection of application of the air pressure.

16. In a fuse, a transversely movable member, and axially movable memberopposing movement of the transversely movable member, an air channel insaid axially movable member leading to its rear face, an air channelleading to one end of the transversely movable member, the axiallymovable member normally interrupting the channel leading to thetransversely movable member.

17. In a fuse, a pair of members mounted for movement at an angle to oneanother, one of said members opposing movement of the other, and meansfor conducting air pressure through the opposing member to effect itsmovement and thence to the opposed member to effect its movement.

18. In a fuse, a member mounted for movement transversely thereof, meansfor conducting air pressure to move said member, and an air pressureoperated member normally opposing movement of the transverse memer. 19.In a fuse having a transverse passage, a. member mounted at one end ofthe passage, and means for conducting air pressure to move said memberto the other end of the passage.

20. In a fuse, an ogival casing formed with a peripheral recess toconstitute an area of reduced pressure during flight, members in thecasing movable through air pressure, and means for venting the airdisplaced by said members to the peripheral recess.

21. In a fuse for projectiles, a pair of apertured members arranged forassembly end to end, one of said members having a transverse passage, aslide insertablein the passage, and a dowel for assembling the aperturedmembers,

said dowel extending into the transverse passage to oppose reversepositioning of the slide.

22. In a fuse, a casing having a. peripheral recess constituting an areaof reduced pressure during flight, vents leading to said recess, astriker normally retracted within the

